CASUAL CONNECT; ANAHEIM, CA and SEATTLE: JANUARY 11, 2018 –
Compassion Games International (CGI), the Seattle-based non-profit initiative and community engagement experience, will be honoring Leaders for Diversity in the gaming industry in a Compassion Torch Ceremony at this year’s Casual Connect at Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California, January 16-17.
Over the last five years, this ceremony has taken place all over the world, spotlighting outstanding individuals, groups, organizations, alliances, and communities whose work is contributing to a more peaceful, just, and compassionate planet. The Compassion Torch was gifted by indigenous elders at Standing Rock in support of this work.
“We hope to raise awareness of the ongoing efforts by leaders championing compassion and diversity,” said Jon Ramer, CGI’s founder. “By passing the Compassion Torch, we honor the efforts and voices of this collective mutual-mentor network committed to becoming better leaders for the greater good.”
Last November, a Compassion Torch Ceremony honored Megan Gaiser, Contagious Creativity principal and founder of Leadership for Diversity, and Laurent Michaud, head of Study and Video Game Practices for IDATE at the DigiWorld Summit in Montpelier, France. In December, several other diversity leaders were honored in Seattle including Enlearn’s Sandi Everlove, Kristiina Hiukka, honorary vice consul of Finland for Washington State, empowerment speaker Shelmina Abji, and Akhtar Badshah of Catalytic Innovators Group.
Honorees at next week’s Compassion Torch Ceremonies at Casual Connect include:
· Justin Berenbaum, Xsolla
· Fiona Cherbak, Sony Interactive Entertainment America
· Don Daglow, The Strong Museum of Play
· Carrie Dieterle, Insomniac Games
· Ed Fries, Board member & Advisor
· Nicole Lazzaro, XEODesign
· Jen MacLean, IGDA & IGDA Foundation
· Laralyn McWilliams, Skydance Interactive
· Wanda Meloni, M2 Insights, Gaming Business Review
· Elizabeth Olson, Strategic Marketing, PR & BizDev Consulting, L4D
· Robert Peloquin, Nielson
· Leslie Pirritano, AMD
· Carl Quinton, Computer Games Association
· Dean Takahashi, VentureBeat
· Jessica Tams, Casual Games Association
· Belinda Van Sickle, GameDocs, Inc., Women in Games International
· Margaret Wallace, KijiCo
“With so much negative press around the lack of diversity and abuse of power, we have the opportunity to shine the light on those doing the good work to catalyze inspired leadership, whether at the individual level or in support of others,” said Megan Gaiser, founder of Leadership for Diversity.
About Compassion Games International (CGI)
Compassion Games International was inspired by the ‘Seeds of Compassion’ that brought the Dalai Lama to Seattle in 2008. The Compassion Games: Survival of the Kindest is a human-to-human, community engagement experience that invites people around the world to challenge one another to promote acts of compassion that better our lives, our communities, and all life on Earth.
About 21st Century Leadership for Diversity (L4D)
21st Century Leadership for Diversity is a collective network across industries committed to becoming better leaders and supporting each other in the process. The call to action is investment in human-centered leadership to ensure creativity, inclusion, diversity, equity, and meaningful engagement are embodied across organizations. The L4D site also serves as a shared collective repository of inspiring leadership resource materials.
